Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil today raised concerns over the government's statement that all video recordings require a licence from the National Film Development Corporation (Finas).
Communications and Multimedia Minister Saifuddin Abdullah this morning told Parliament all recordings, including for personal social media, require a Finas licence.
Fahmi (above) said this has far-reaching implications on Malaysia's millions of social media users and can be used for selective prosecution.
"The implications are wide and I am sure many will now ask if their social media videos will now need a Finas licence, based on the minister's reading of the law.
"More troubling is how this reading could lead to selective prosecution, where only some people will be subject to this requirement while others are not affected," the PKR MP said in a press conference at Parliament today.
Saifuddin made the statement in response to a question from Wong Shu Qi (Harapan-Kluang) who asked if a Finas licence is required for video recordings published on social media and traditional media.
This came after Finas revealed that international broadcaster Al Jazeera was not licenced to produce its film "Locked Up in Malaysia's Lockdown", which sparked public outcry for allegedly showing the Malaysian government in a bad light.
Al Jazeera is being investigated for the film, which looks at the treatments of migrants during the movement control order and is part of its 101 East current affairs show.
Al Jazeera has rejected accusations of bias and insisted that it does not need a Finas licence to produce a news feature report.
Minister's reply unsatisfactory
Saifuddin this morning also responded to Fahmi's additional question on whether YouTuber Dr Dustin Pfundeller holds a Finas licence.
Pfundheller, who earlier produced a video praising Malaysia's efforts against Covid-19, had earlier this month published a video rubbishing the Al Jazeera documentary.
Responding to Fahmi, Saifuddin (photo) said he leaves this to the relevant authorities to investigate and that action will be taken upon a complaint.
Commenting on this, Fahmi said the minister did not provide a sufficient answer to his question.
"The minister has to be cognisant of the fact that his answer is not only not satisfactory, but the implication can have a wide reach," he said.
According to the Finas Act 1981, a film is any recording, including a short film, documentary, trailers and advertisement.
On its website, Finas states that filmmakers seeking a licence to do a video recording must be a registered company with a paid-up capital of at least RM50,000.
Meanwhile, Fahmi also questioned if parliamentarians also require a licence to broadcast via social media live video broadcasting features, like "Facebook Live".
"(Higher Education Minister) Noraini (Ahmad) invited students to use TikTok, does that require a licence?" he asked, referring to the short video competition which Noraini was criticised for promoting.
TikTok, a social media platform where users upload short videos, is popular among youths in Malaysia.
In 2019, four million users downloaded the application in Malaysia, with most being under the age of 30.
Meanwhile, Johor Bahru MP Akmal Nasir said the licence requirement would hurt young people who use social media as a creative outlet and to earn an income.
"As such, I urge the minister to reconsider this... At best, the Finas Act should be revised and Section 22 (1) of the act (which deals with licencing) is repealed," he said in a statement. - Mkini
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